Australian former Deputy PM looks embarrassed as he turns up to Parliament LATE after humiliating video of him lying on a pavement and mumbling incoherently was revealed

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  • Nationals MP late for Question Time
  • First time in parliament since video scandal 
  • READ MORE: Nat Barr confronts Barnaby Joyce about THAT video

Barnaby Joyce has arrived back in Canberra, after video emerged of the Nationals MP lying on a Canberra pavement talking loudly into his mobile phone.

Video published by Daily Mail Australia on Friday showed the shadow cabinet member, 56, on the ground in the inner suburb of Braddon after sitting on a planter box and falling off late last Wednesday night.

The former deputy prime minister could be heard muttering on the phone while flat on his back on the ground, including one outburst where he said, ‘dead f***ing c***’. 

The video taken in Lonsdale Street, which has since gone viral, has led to questions about the former deputy prime minister’s fitness to sit on the opposition front bench.

Mr Joyce, arrived at parliament almost an hour after question time began on Monday, ahead of a Nationals party room meeting.

Barnaby Joyce arrived at parliament almost an hour after question time began on Monday, ahead of a Nationals party room meeting

Barnaby Joyce arrived at parliament almost an hour after question time began on Monday, ahead of a Nationals party room meeting

EXCLUSIVEREAD MORE: Vikki Campion’s dad offers a strong clue as to why her husband appeared in a distressed state

Peter Campion (pictured left with Barnaby Joyce) said he was disgusted by the way his son-in-law has been treated

Peter Campion (pictured left with Barnaby Joyce) said he was disgusted by the way his son-in-law has been treated

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The Nationals MP said he admitted he had made a mistake.

‘Look, obviously I made a big mistake,’ Mr Joyce told Seven’s Sunrise program on Monday.

‘There’s no excuse for it.

‘There’s a reason … they say certain things happen to you if you drink (while on medication) and they were absolutely, 100 per cent, right.’

Nationals leader David Littleproud said Mr Joyce had matters he needed to work through but hoped he would return to work in the afternoon or later in the week – though the party’s meeting is planned for Monday.

‘This is something that he’s deeply embarrassed about,’ Mr Littleproud told Sky News.

‘He’s made that very clear that this isn’t normal behaviour that he undertakes and there are extenuating circumstances surrounding that and obviously, we will support him in making sure that, anything that he does need, he gets.’

Mr Littleproud had previously said he would talk to Mr Joyce about the conduct seen in the video, as well as his position on the opposition frontbench.

The government has called on the coalition to answer for Mr Joyce’s actions, with Finance Minister Katy Gallagher saying the situation was ‘incredibly sad’.

‘These things do nothing for the profession of politicians … it confirms, in people’s minds, the public’s minds, negative association with politics, and I think that’s a real shame,’ she told ABC radio.

‘But personally, I hope he gets the help he needs because it’s a very unusual position for someone of that age to be in.’

Barnaby Joyce has returned to parliament for the first time since the video scandal

Barnaby Joyce has returned to parliament for the first time since the video scandal

Mr Joyce looked embarrassed when he returned to parliament on Monday

Mr Joyce looked embarrassed when he returned to parliament on Monday

Labor MP Tania Lawrence said the behaviour of the Nationals MP was embarrassing.

‘We are examples to our community young and old, we represent Australia to the international dignitaries and visitors we meet each week,’ she told parliament.

‘We are under the spotlight, and we should act accordingly, and if we can’t, then we must also be able to understand that there isn’t a single member here who is irreplaceable.’

Sources told Daily Mail Australia that the Nationals frontbencher was sitting on the large pot plant while having an animated phone conversation with his wife, Vikki Campion, when he fell off, ‘rolled around’ on the ground and continued with his call. 

Mr Joyce later hit back at the embarrassing clip, saying: ‘If I had known someone was there with a camera, I would have got up quicker.’ 

Mr Joyce has since blamed mixing alcohol with medication for his behaviour

Mr Joyce has since blamed mixing alcohol with medication for his behaviour

His father-in-law, Peter Campion, slammed the politician as a ‘shocker’ for being on a course of medication.

‘He’s on something. I know when it comes to meds, he’s a shocker,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.

‘Vikki is always at him to take them and he doesn’t.

‘He forgets to take them, forgets to stick to the course of whatever he’s on.’

Mr Campion defended Mr Joyce by saying how his son-in-law had received some devastating family news on the day of the incident. 

‘He’s already lost a brother to cancer, that’s what you’ve got to begin with. He had some very bad similar news, which is not up to me divulge but of the same scale and it affected him deeply,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Joyce’s ex-wife and mother to his four adult daughters, Natalie Abberfield, told Daily Mail Australia on Monday: ‘I hope he’s OK.’

‘I’m not going to say any more. It’s his private life. I’m not in his life any more.’ 

Barnaby Joyce is pictured with his wife Vikki Campion on Tuesday - the day before the scene on Lonsdale Street. Her father, Peter, has said the politician received devastating family news on the day of the incident

Barnaby Joyce is pictured with his wife Vikki Campion on Tuesday – the day before the scene on Lonsdale Street. Her father, Peter, has said the politician received devastating family news on the day of the incident